Why I Vote: Nothing Will Change If We Don’t

Lakesha has helped more than 50 people register to vote this month. Image credit: Denise Miller.

Registering to vote is the first step in creating change. To inspire you to register (or to update your address if you’ve moved), we invited a variety of people to tell us their thoughts on the importance of voting. First up is YWCA resident Lakesha.

Should Homelessness Be a Crime? Our State Grapples With Its Answer.

The Western Regional Advocacy Project's multi-state Homeless Bill of Rights campaign aims to guarantee equal protection for people experiencing homelessness and poverty. Image credit: Art Hazelwood via WRAP.

Seattle University law professor Sara Rankin shares statistics about the criminalization of homelessness and invites you to join a statewide conversation about it.

Advocacy Works! Calls, Emails, Tweets and Olympia Visits Rescued Programs to End Homelessness

One of our policy priorities, a bill to maintain document recording fee funding for programs that are ending homelessness, had a wild ride in the legislature this year. Advocacy, both online and in-person, kept pressure on lawmakers to ensure that important services like domestic violence shelters could stay open. Here’s a look at some of the tweets, blog posts, photos, news stories and Facebook updates that made a difference.

Sounding the Alarm Gong for Homeless Services

Sideways rain soaked our clothes, and wind threatened to send our unsturdy blue plastic tent smashing into the steps of the Capitol building. Why were dozens of housing advocates huddled around a gong in that nasty weather?

The Night Jane Realized Her Children Were in Danger, We Found Them a Place to Stay. Now the Program That Helped Them Faces Cuts in Olympia.

With just a couple of weeks left in the state legislative session, it’s a critical time to speak up for laws that will help end homelessness. We’re highlighting how state policies affect communities across the state, and sharing simple actions you can take to ensure everybody has the opportunity to live in a safe, healthy, affordable home. Today Sarah Foley from YWCA of Spokane, a new member of the Firesteel network, shares a story from her community.

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